Regrets
by Houseofcolors
Summary: First story! Please read. Would welcome any advice or criticism to help improve my writing. Thanks
1. Chapter 1

The pub was decorated festivity, for the Christmas period ahead, decorations hanging beautifully from the ceiling a huge tree sat by the fire place. Which Noah and Liv had been decorating for hours, in fact she had instructed them to take a break, fear of them starting an argument about child slave labour, it wouldn't be the first time. Chas was pleased with the way it was looking, only one thing letting it down, her brother was once again sat in the corner drinking his problems away. The pub was quiet but it often was at opening time. Chas moved towards him and rested next to him at the table, he took a swig of his beer and remained silent "Cain, you need to start a fresh, why don't you move back in here, even if it's just for Christmas" she paused, looking for evidence that he was listening if nothing else "Come on Cain it is time to move on, you will always have a home here"

"What? With Charity?" he growled "I am trying to get Moira to forgive me, not hate me even more"

"I don't think she is going to"

"I love her, I am not giving up"

"Cain please" Chas began but paused as the pub door went, they both glanced to the woman struggling with the huge box, the woman that had Cain all over the place, barely being able to function "Morning Moira" Chas spoke as she moved to where she had placed the meat order to the bar

"Morning" Moira replied, her eyes locked with Cain's for a few seconds before she pulled her attention back to Chas, she handed over the clipboard for her former Sister-in-law to sign "Your extras are in the box"

"Great" Chas replied before gesturing to a poster hanging on the wall "Fancy it?"

"Christmas comes early to The Woolpack" she read aloud "A party?"

"Yep, Christmas is only two weeks away, it's time to get in the party spirt"

"I am not really bothering this year. With everything that's happened, Holly, James" she took a quick glance at Cain before sighing "I don't feel much like celebrating"

"But you have to do something, what about Adam?"

"He and Vic are going to see Hannah next week and won't be back until new year"

"What about you?'

"I'll be fine, I always am" she turned to walk away

"So I will drop round for you about 7?"

"What for?"

"The party"

"I don't think it's a good idea"

"Tough, see you tonight" Chas picked up the box and began to move behind the bar

"Fine but I will make my own way here, we can't have you missing your own party".

* * *

Moira hovered outside the pub, the party was in full swing, she could hear the music and rowdy village residents inside, she felt slightly nervous about going in, she wasn't entirely sure why. She had dressed up, in a small black dress and high heels, her hair falling in curls down her back and a small amount of make up. She knew Cain would be here and despite how much she tried to convince herself she wasn't doing this for him, deep down she knew she was still madly in love with her ex-husband, but she didn't know if she could forgive him for Charity. "Excuse me Miss" Moira turned to the older woman calling her "Can you help me?"

"I can try" Moira replied, her eyes ran over the woman, she was much older than Moira, but very attractive, she had short blonde hair and more makeup than Moira ever felt necessary

"I am looking for a Dingle"

"Anyone in particular, there was a time I was one"

"Ah lord you weren't one of the ones married to our Marlon, were you?"

"No" Moira replied "Who was it you were looking for?"

"Any of em?"

"Your best bet is in here, Dingles are never far from the pub" Moira laughed slightly, pointing to the Wolly door "And Chas runs it?"

"Chasity?" the older woman asked "Running a pub, well I'll be damned"

"Who are you?" Moira asked but the woman rushed past and inside. Moira walked in and the woman was at the bar, being served by Jermaine. Moira noticed that the Dingles were far and few between with only Sam sat at a table drinking a beer, Cain couldn't be far, his coat over the chair opposite Sam.

"Hello love" Moira turned to Chas who was now behind the bar "What can I get you?"

"Gin and Tonic please" Moira replied, Chas prepared the drink "There was a woman outside looking for you, in fact she was looking for any Dingle" Moira did a quick scan of the pub before spotting the older woman sat in the corner, Moira pointed her out and the woman raised her glass

"Oh God" Chas spoke turning back to Moira "That's my mum"

"Your mum?" Moira repeated

"Where is Cain, he will hit the roof if he sees her" they turned to where Cain was heading back from the toilet "Distract him, I will get rid of her" before Moira had time to protest Chas had disappeared

"Hey" Moira spoke as she stood next to Cain "I wanted to" she paused, what was she going to say, she glanced to Chas before back to Cain "Thank you for all your hard work on the farm the last few months" she noticed his glass near to empty "Can I get you a drink?"

"Ok" Cain replied and she headed to the bar, she ordered the drinks. Glancing at Chas, she noticed the two women glance at her, the older woman rose to her feet and headed over.

"So it would seem psycho is your type?" she spoke and Moira noticed Cain's head shot round "And I didn't even know you had got wed" she directed her later comment to Cain

"You got some front being here" Cain shouted

"I have come to see my children, grandchildren and Chas has been informing me I have great grandchildren now"

"We don't want you here" Chas spoke

"You have lost your edge Cain, letting your sister do the talking"

"Just go" he shouted

"No wonder she saw through you, seems fairly normal compared to the other tramps you have been with, what did he do, cheat, beat you?"

"No" Moira replied

"I would never of hurt her, I love her, that's why I didn't invite you to the wedding, your poison"

"Look at the state of you" she smirked glancing between Cain and Chas "Drinking yourself into an early grave"

"Well you and Dad taught us well" Chas replied

"At least you have good in you" she turned to Cain "Everyone knows you are evil, always have been always will be, a mindless thug" Cain moved towards her and Chas moved in front of him

"You're not that person anymore, don't rise to her"

"Don't tell me you have lost your bottle un'all"

"You are a disgrace" Moira spoke up and the older woman turned to her "He is your son, you are meant to love and protect him, I am surprised he knows how to be caring and loving, because that's what I see when I look at him, far from a thug"

"If that's true, why are you divorcing him?" the woman laughed turning back to Cain "You certainly got her following your rules" she laughed "Just like Shadrach you are"

"I am nothing like him"

"You are the reason I left in the first place, having to live with a son like you" Cain's face angered and he moved to her

"Cain" Moira spoke "You are not the person she wants you to be" he turned and grabbed his coat before storming from the pub

"How about another drink?" the woman spoke, over the now silent pub

"Sure" Chas replied, taking the drink Moira had ordered for Cain "We need a proper welcome eh, Faith Dingle, the worst mother the world has ever seen" she tipped the drink over her "Get out of my pub".


	2. Chapter 2

Moira was finishing her drink quickly, Faith had left straight after Cain and she was concerned that the scene in the pub hadn't ended there. It was the first time she had met the woman, she had heard stories, more so from Chas, Cain hated to talk about his childhood, it was always a rare thing for him, although she had a story that had haunted her since the rare occasion he had opened up. Shadrach and Faith had been arguing on and off for days, Cain had done everything possible to protect his sister from the upset and fear he faced on a daily basis. Although on this occasion he had been unable to protect her, he was ten years old and his Dad had spent three hours beating him, his Mum had done nothing, she had watched her child be beaten by a grown adult, Shadrach had been blinding drunk, not that Cain excused him for that. Cain had never felt pain like it, he had kicked and punched him, spat on him as he lay sobbing on the floor, Cain described this particular beating as a turning point, the day he stopped letting his father see how much he had broken him. After this incident Shadrach had stormed out leaving Faith furious at her lack of control over the situation, knowing her son could take no more, she forced him to watch his little sister, the only reason he had stuck around so long take a beating meant for him. He was to weak to stop her and Moira had known how much it had broken him, his life torn apart in ways he couldn't begin to describe. He had opened up to Moira on Christmas day a few years ago, he had cried in her arms as he told her this was the reason he regularly lashed out. She downed the last mouthful of her drink and slammed her glass down. "Moira" Chas spoke and she turned to face her former Sister-in-law, she had a fearful look in her eyes "Just remember however angry he is, he is he victim, even though he will never admit it"

"It's not my problem any more"

"You really believe that, you have completely washed your hands?"

"We are getting divorced, we are finished". Moira headed for the door, despite what she had just said she would never stop caring, she always would love him.

* * *

Arriving back at the farm Moira could hear the crashes and banging coming from the caravan, she ran over quickly and pulled the door open, the inside was smashed beyond repair and Cain was punching the wall, blood pouring from his hand, she stood frozen, she could leave her husband on his path to self destruct and leave him in his now sorry state or she helped him, calmed him the way she always did, pieced his very fragile pieces back together, to repair the damage that woman had caused him tonight. "Cain" she called and she moved inside, his eyes were raging and she was struggling to recall a time when she and seen him quite like this, she couldn't. She moved to him and grabbed his arm "Cain stop"

"GET OUT" he screamed as he pushed her away, his eyes glazed over, she wasn't sure he even knew it was her

"Cain, please stop" she spoke quietly and his eyes met hers "You are not this person anymore, don't let her change it"

"I will always be that thug that everyone hates, that nobody wants to stay close to out of fear of getting hurt".

"No, not any more. I know you are a good decent man"

"You don't now me at all then"

"You really believe that?" she asked "Because I think I know you better than anyone" she sighed "Especially better than your sorry excuse for a mother" she moved to him and held her hand out "Come inside and let me clean your hands up".

* * *

Moira had cleaned his hands and made him a coffee, although he had asked for something stronger. She had noticed he was very quiet now, his anger turned to sadness, the look in is eye, pure regret and shame of his behaviour. He was broken, she reached out to his hand and he pulled back. "Cain, remember this is her, not you" he shook his head and she smiled "I loved you, more than I ever thought possible". She reached for his hand again "Cain, you are a good man, an amazing Dad and the best husband I could of asked for". He moved quickly across the table and crashed his lips to hers. She pulled back quickly "Cain, don't"

"Why, you just said you love me, I was the best husband"

"I did and you were" she glanced down "You really hurt me though and I can't get past that".

"Because I am poison and I hurt you the way I hurt everyone" he stood up and headed for the door

"Cain" she shouted "You don't have to go". She frowned as he slammed the door closed after himself. Moira did love him and she always would but what had happened between him and Charity had hurt, it had destroyed her. She pushed up from the table and headed over to the door, she locked it before moving through her home and up stairs to have a bath. She couldn't worry about Cain now, he wasn't her problem, she had enough of her own problems, she was still trying to come to terms with loosing her daughter. She climbed into the bath and sunk under the water.

* * *

Chas had not been in the party spirt after Cain and her mother had left. People were gossiping and she hated that, although Cain was often at the top of the gossips list. It never got any easier, she still hated how people saw him, after all, he was a changed man, Moira had seen to that. She collected a few glasses from the tables outside. Seeing the woman sat on the bench across the road, she placed the glasses to the table and crossed over. "Still here?" she asked as she rested next to her mother

"I want to see my grandkids Chas"

"They might not want to see you" she snapped back " Aaron, he barely knows you, Debs isn't around anymore and Kyle has never met you, you shouldn't be here"

"Well I wanted to see you, you are my daughter"

"And Cain is your son and look how you treated him, I don't want you here"

"You and Cain are very different, you were good and kind, he is evil"

"He is what you and Dad made him"

"A mindless, good for nothing thug"

"No, he is your son, my brother and he is not the man he used to be, the man you made him, he changed when he started out with Moira, she made him the man he is, the man who adores her unconditionally, in a way I have never seen him love before. The man I love, who I am proud to call my brother. A decent person, far more decent than you"

"You almost sounded convinced then, but if that's the case, why is his wife leaving him?"

"There is a lot going on you don't understand, Moira has a lot going on"

"Then convince me, tell me all the details, help me win him round?". Chas looked at her "He is my son after all"

"Then talk to him, I won't tell you anything you can use against him"

"Where are your priorities girl?"

"With my brother. They will always be with Cain" . Chas rose to her feet before heading towards the pub.

* * *

Moira pulled her blue fluffy dressing gown tightly round her as she crossed the farm to the caravan, it was now fast approaching midnight but his light was still on, she stopped outside and tapped lightly on the door. A few minutes passed before he opened for her. "Moira" he spoke "What are you doing here?" he stepped aside and ushered her in from the cold.

"I came to see you are alright?"

"On top of the world, my mother thinks I am the devil reincarnated, you hate me, with good reason and my bed is broken" he gestured to the seat he normally pulled into a double bed

"What happened to the bed?"

"Took the brunt of my anger"

"I don't hate you" her eyes moved back from the bed to his face "I will never hate you Cain"

"I wouldn't blame you if you did" he moved back to the bed and continued with trying to fix it "Stupid thing" he stressed

"Listen, I have two spare rooms, come inside for the night, it makes much more sense than being out here, fix this in the morning".


End file.
